A holistic view of the organizational knowledge dynamics

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present a holistic view of the organizational knowledge dynamics, as an alternative to the current research focusing on different aspects of this complex and nonlinear phenomenon. Organizational knowledge is a semantic construct which has been developed as a result of growing importance of knowledge as a strategic resource, and it constitutes an integration of all forms of knowledge co-existing within an organization. Organizational knowledge varies in time and its dynamics is vital for organizational growth and for achieving a competitive advantage. Our approach is based on metaphorical thinking and on critical analysis of the present research concerning organizational knowledge and organizational intellectual dynamics. Going beyond the iceberg and stocks-and-flows metaphors, our research is based on the energy metaphor and the entropy law. The conceptual approach used and the final results obtained demonstrate the importance and utility of the holistic view in understanding more profoundly the complexity of the organizational knowledge dynamics.

Keywords

• knowledge creation
• knowledge acquisition
• knowledge loss
• knowledge sharing
• metaphors
• organizational knowledge
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